Engine low power

1995 JEEP CHEROKEE
13,000 MILES • V8 • AWD • AUTOMATIC
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MARYJEEP95
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While driving the Jeep the car will cut out completely.
The power lose will happen during a stop or driving. I believe it has something to do with the fuel delivery system somehow.
I noticed if the tank is at least half full the problem is not as frequent. I am usually able to put it in neutral and restart the engine. However this is not always the case. Before it dies out the engine will idle rougher at a stop. While driving there are no warnings just the Tac at zero.
I had the car in for diagnostics where I was told it was due to a transmission that need rebuilding...this I believe has nothing to do with it.
I was thinking after doing some research;
Fuel filter, Fuel pump, Cam shaft sensor or cam positional sensor.
What can I do to find the real cause of the problem. This is my secondary car but I have had it for over 10 years and would like to keep using it. I don't want to put a fortune in it. Any tips would be helpful.
Mary
Oct 26, 2009 at 2:23 PM
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JACOBANDNICKOLAS
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I doubt the trans has anything to do with the problem. Has your check engine light come on? As far as the fuel, have you ever checked fuel pump pressure?

This guide can help us

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/engine-has-low-power-output

Let me know.

Joe
Jan 19, 2019 at 11:29 AM
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MARYJEEP95
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The check engine light has NOT come on.
I have not checked the fuel pressure. How do I check this? I am assuming this has to be done by a mechanic.
Mary
Jan 19, 2019 at 11:29 AM
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JACOBANDNICKOLAS
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Actually it is easy to do. Here is a how to video for you to watch:

https://www.2carpros.com/how_to/how_to_check_fuel_pressure.htm

You will need a gauge to check it, but most parts stores will lend or rent one to you.

Let me know what you find.

Joe
Jan 19, 2019 at 11:29 AM
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ZAROBA
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i have 2 problems with my '95 jeep cherokee sport. hopefully somebody here can help me out before i take it to a mechanic and pay loads for him to look at it.

i got the jeep used last year with about 180k miles on it. it seems to run good and only has a few problems.

1. when driving on roads, hitting ANY bump, makes a clunking noise in the back of the truck. even bumbs too small to feel while driving the truck. i've also had the rear slide out on wet roads when going at low speeds (like less then 20mph) and over rough pavement seams between roads and parking lots. also the truck will sometimes rock back and forth or side to side when going at a steady 30mph on roads that seem mostly flat. used to have old off-road tires on the truck but have new tires on it now and it did nothing to solve anything. i'm thinking the struts need to be replaced but am not sure.

2. thier is an odd smell that comes from the engine. it's really noticable when i pull into a parking space and stop and when i pull into my driveway and stop, but rarly when its driving on roads or stopped at traffic lights. when i first started smelling the odor was when the power steering hose got a leak and i had a mechanic replace it. the smell came back and i found out he only put a flimsey hose on that coulden't handle the pressure. then i had a friend replace it with a good one retrieved from a junkyard and all was fine for a month. now the smell has started up again. its the exact same smell, but unlike the previous two times, thier is no smoke from power steering fluid spraying on the hot engine and thier appears to be no loss of power steering fluid, the level is the same as when filling it after the 2nd hose replacement. so i got no clue whats causeing the smell. anybody else got any ideas? could the power steering pump be going bad? thiers no difficulties in steering at all.
Aug 1, 2020 at 12:56 PM (Merged)
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JPAM
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1. IT could be your shocks or struts but i think there is much more to it..ohno.. What caught my eye is the over size tires.... what do boys or fun(girls) do with a 4x4 with big tires????.. Thats right we go find mudd holes... & seeing your from PA probally climbing things too... I know for experince..LOL. we cant help it.. Id go ahead and check the bushing on ur stabolizer arms and check sway bar.. It really sounds like it could one of those.. Thats what my 78 custom bronco did.. dang had to cut out fenders and rear wheel wells to get 35 swappers to fit..(because im too cheap to buy a lift) thats always fun going through the mudd with no rear wells..mmmSmart..
Ooh by the way :lol: is your Jeep to good for the Crystler Forum..LOL id move it back myself but not in charge of this forum (only chevy and crystler) Might get more hits that way by those die hard Jeep, MOPAR guys.. HEY that thing got a HEMI in it..
2.I think the smell is just burnt into ur noise :roll:
Sorry no clue on this one.. HEY good luck and have some fun on this site.. there might be someone u can HELP..
Aug 1, 2020 at 12:56 PM (Merged)
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ZAROBA
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the current tires are stock. old tires were only a few inches larger. don't know if it even has a sway bar on it, afaik, the whole truck is stock.
i hope to get a lift kit and big tires though :P


as for being in the crystler forum, the description diden't have jeep vehicles, and i diden't remember if it was GM or chrystler that owned Jeep now.
Aug 1, 2020 at 12:56 PM (Merged)
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JPAM
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couldnt really say if it has a sway bar without crawling underone myself.. but thinking it should?? but not as sure about it having stabolizer arms.>??
Sorry about that i didnt notice that they didnt list jeep under Chrysler forum intel later on.. :?
well good luck and have fun..
Aug 1, 2020 at 12:56 PM (Merged)
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ZAROBA
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also, after rereading your first post, let me add:
i have yet to go off-roading with it :P

the off-road tires (BF Goodrich All-Terrerain T/A tires) came with it. i have little clue as to what mods (if any) were put on it by the previus owner. the steel bumper is dinged up from what looks like bumping rocks while going off-road so i assume the previous owner did that.

i am however saving up my money to buy a lift kit and new larger off-road tires for it for a trip to the beach this spring. and mid or late summer i'd like to goto Paragon.
Aug 1, 2020 at 12:56 PM (Merged)
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JPAM
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there u go.. those JEEPS are fun to play with.. Wish i had a CJ to play with... Good luck with ur prob.. have fun with the lift and tires... 8)
Aug 1, 2020 at 12:56 PM (Merged)
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ZAROBA
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figured out what the thunking was.

while on brake with a coworker i was talking to him about the truck (its gotten worse and now feels like the body is moving side to side when going around turns). we went over and looked at it and while he was rocking the truck i was looking under it and the barings between the bottems of the stabilizer bars and the screws that mount them to the axle are completly shot. both bars could move back and forth by about a half an inch.

while driving home i had the driver side mirror pointing down at the rear wheel and i could tell the axles was moving back and forth when going over bumps and going around sharp turns.
Aug 1, 2020 at 12:56 PM (Merged)
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PEPPERMRJ
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Thanxs for the update. :) How did you make out with the odor?
Aug 1, 2020 at 12:56 PM (Merged)
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JPAM
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so i was on the right track.. the bushings on the bars.. So did u look under truck and move stuff around when i was repliing back to ur posts?? u should have caught this if u did read 2-24-06 posting.
[b:ccb7fabe76]bushing on stabalizer rams[/b:ccb7fabe76] !!! well glad u got it fixed..tthhnnkkss..
Aug 1, 2020 at 12:56 PM (Merged)
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ZAROBA
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lol, yea. shame on me, i should have read it more carefully.
i was only thinking of the sway bar part :P


no clue about the oder yet though. some smoke came out of the engine today when i pulled into the driveway and stopped though. backed it out again and was looking all around under the truck and under the hood with it running but coulden't find anything leaking anywhere, even when turning the wheel all the way in both directions and straining it a bit to put more pressure on the power steering. still think its the powersteering though since the smell only seems to happen when slowing down to a stop while steering. or in the case of my driveway, turning into a steep hill while slowing down.
Aug 1, 2020 at 12:56 PM (Merged)
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ZAROBA
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this stuff is no longer a problem

R.I.P. my first truck. i shall miss it.

some F-Head pulled out in front of me while going to work yesterday morning. i had to slam on my brakes to avoid hitting him in the back but with the wet roads i coulden't avoid hitting a utility pole and breaking it in half. luckily i was uninjured. the other driver diden't stop at all.

The repair shop says the truck will cost more to repair then its worth (we got it for $2500) and that we'd be better off just getting a new vehicle. we diden't have collision insurance on it since its an old vehicle and neither i nor the witness of the accident got the liscense plate number of the other vehicle.
Aug 1, 2020 at 12:56 PM (Merged)
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PEPPERMRJ
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Big time PITA! :evil:
Glad you are OK.
Aug 1, 2020 at 12:56 PM (Merged)
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JPAM
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dang it... that really bites.. sorry about the that..
got a ?.. who did you get that picture up??
for the life of it i cant get a pic. up myself..

sorry better luck next time.. jess s
Aug 1, 2020 at 12:56 PM (Merged)
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94JEEPCHEROKEESPORT
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Hello, I have a 1994 4.0 L Jeep Cherokee Sport as the title of this thread implies.

The Symptoms:

When accelerating the vehicle does fine. However, when I am stopped at a red light or stop sign, or if I have to decelerate to a slower speed. The Jeep has a sound where it will rumble and pop like in the Youtube video that I am going to post. In that video, it mentions the EGR Valve. However, I read on one forum that 4.0 L Jeeps made after 1994 do not have EGR Valves. Though oddly enough they do sell gaskets for EGR Valves for my 1994 Jeep Cherokee 4.0 L at the Big Box Automotive Stores.

Here is the video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQLXqhwTnIo

If you pay extra close attention to roughly the 0:37 to 0:49 mark of the video. That is exactly the sound that it makes before it cuts off and dies. It will not restart for awhile like it has overheated but it does not show that it is overheating on the temperature gauge, but if you let it set for a couple of hours. Then it cranks up and drives again. It runs like a top, then all of a sudden at a stop sign, red light, or when it decelerates it will make that sound and die.

Like I said earlier, I read that 1991 and newer 4.0 L Jeep Cherokees do not have an EGR Valve. So if it isn't an EGR Valve causing that sound (assuming this 1994 Jeep Cherokee Sport 4.0 L doesn't have an EGR Valve) then I wonder what could be causing the problem?

Things that I have fixed on the Jeep already

- Engine Control Computer
- Distributor Cap
- Rotor Button
- Ignition Coil


This is a problem that has been bugging me for over 2 weeks now and I just want so badly for the issue to be resolved. Any assistance that can be given would be greatly appreciated.
Aug 1, 2020 at 12:58 PM (Merged)
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HMAC300
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This sounds like you have lack of fuel pressure but to be sure this guide will help us fix it.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-check-fuel-system-pressure-and-regulator

and

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/engine-has-low-power-output

Please run down these guides and report back.
Aug 1, 2020 at 12:58 PM (Merged)
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94JEEPCHEROKEESPORT
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First of all, let me start of by telling you how much I appreciate your response. It means a lot to me. Sorry about the lateness in my reply. Between the holidays and spending countless hours working on the Jeep I haven't been able to get back to you.

Now here is where I am at right now in relation to the Jeep. I feel like it is getting closer and closer to being fixed.

I have done all of the things you mentioned except for scanning for codes, and still it would do the cutting out. However, after cleaning the Idle Air Control Valve / Throttle Body on both sides. The Jeep has never really sounded any better. So that was much needed even though it is still shutting off. I also replaced the Crankshaft Position Sensor in which I heard was a prevalent problem in Jeep XJs. I also grabbed an Engine Coolant Temperature Sensor as well.


The last two days I have let the vehicle idle. Both times it went dead after idling for 1 hour and 10 minutes. So both times it did idle for more than an hour before making that sound heard in the Youtube link I posted in my previous post. When the vehicle shuts down you always have to give it at least 30 minutes before it will fire back up.

I was pleased with the progress in terms of the vehicle sounding better than it has in a long long time and really even better than any time since I have had it. I was getting a bit frustrated because I am running out of things that can be wrong with the vehicle.

I began to fiddle around with the vehicle some more, and my arm moved the ignition coil wire ever so slightly and it killed the engine in the manner shown in the Youtube Video I posted in the last post that I posted. That ignition coil was on there for over an hour, and right at the 1 hour and 10 minute mark.

So I went and got the old ignition coil wire that I originally had on the Jeep before I bought that other ignition coil wire. Instead of the vehicle having to wait 30 minutes to fire up like it normally does. It fired up again as soon as I put that Ignition Coil wire on that hadn't been on. It only stayed on for 15 minutes or so before stalling out, but in that 15 minutes it ran like a top.

So some how that ignition coil wire is getting hot and when you put a cold one that hasn't been run back on it. It fires right back up without having to wait 30 minutes. So I am wondering if I am looking at an Ignition Coil Wire issue, Ignition Coil Issue, or Distributor Cap issue. I have already replaced all 3 but since I hate some brands at big box automotive retailers in which I won't name names. I went to the junk yard to get all three of those replacement parts because they are Mopar brand and there isn't any places here who carry Mopar branded parts. The cap wasn't cracked or anything, and the Ignition Coil looked good as well, but I know that there can always be something wrong with them internally that a visual inspection will not capture.

Also: I don't know if this will help any, but it seems like the cooler it is outside. The longer it will run. For example if it is 65-70 Degrees like it was the other day it only idled for 35 Minutes before going dead. The last couple of days it has idled it has been roughly 50 degrees and it has idled longer at an hour and 10 minutes before shutting off. The only things that have been changed between the 35 minute and 1 hour and 10 minute idling times has been the Crankshaft Position Sensor and Engine Coolant Temperature Sensor.

I would really love your input on what you think might be the issue with the coil wire acting like it is. It would be greatly appreciated and I thank you for your time that you have spent so far with me.
Aug 1, 2020 at 12:58 PM (Merged)
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HMAC300
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if this is a 4.0L check at rear of engine for a wire harness worn through tha tmay be your trouble. if it is solder the wires and use shrink tube to protect it. it may be just a poor quality coil wire as well . but check those.
Aug 1, 2020 at 12:58 PM (Merged)
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94JEEPCHEROKEESPORT
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I checked the wiring harness and I didn't see any naked wires or any that looked corroded.

I was wondering if the coil wire or spark plugs could get hot in that 1 hour and 10 minute time span to make it cutoff and do like it is doing. I checked the plugs condition the other day and they looked fine, but it probably has been longer than the 30,000 miles since I have changed them out. Do you think that could be a culprit?
Aug 1, 2020 at 12:58 PM (Merged)
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HMAC300
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it cold be the coil kind of doubt it but you never know i'd think more like a module more than anything or a fuel pump heating up and not working. so you could check your fuel pressure when this happens and see what yo have if not up to snuff then that may be the problem.
Aug 1, 2020 at 12:58 PM (Merged)
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94JEEPCHEROKEESPORT
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I sold the 1994 Jeep Cherokee Sport from this thread to a friend of mine. Since I sold it to him. I have been seeing him driving it, and he said that it hasn't given him any issues.

Turns out he got a new Fuel Pump for it. I had replaced it on December 21st, 2014 according to my receipt from Auto Zone. I had ruled it out because I really didn't think it would go bad so quickly but it did so I replaced it again runs great!.
Aug 1, 2020 at 12:59 PM (Merged)
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HMAC300
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Nice work, we are here to help, please use 2CarPros anytime.
Aug 1, 2020 at 12:59 PM (Merged)
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MADMILE
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Driving down the road it feels like the jeep has just run out of gas but yet the motor wil remain running until you put the transmission in neutral. You can press on the gas pedal but the motor will not reve up
Aug 1, 2020 at 12:59 PM (Merged)
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CJ MEDEVAC
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Ever replace fuel filter?
Aug 1, 2020 at 12:59 PM (Merged)
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MADMILE
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We were hoping it would be as simple as a fuel filter and wanted to try that first but the problem this is our very first jeep we have ever owned and with all the searching we have done today even through the owners manual we can not find one thing on where the fuel filter for the 94 jeep cherokee country is located. To make matters worse the owners manual doesn't even mention a fuel filter. OMG! If you wouldn't mind helping us with this we would love to try it and hope it solves the problem
Aug 1, 2020 at 12:59 PM (Merged)
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It's not the fuel filter, fuel filter is mechanics way of not wanting to tell you the real reason something is wrong. You need new spark plugs wires distributor cap rotor, maybe coil. Time for what they call a tune up
Aug 1, 2020 at 12:59 PM (Merged)
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RONNIE LABAUME
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My jeep has an acceleration problem. It will be running smoothly and then it starts chugging but it clears itself up. I put on a new fuel filter. It acts like it has some sort of vacuum problem. Is there a vacuum system associated whit the throttle linkage? The problem seems to occur more frequently at slower speeds: 10-15 mph. There is no consistent pattern to the problem.
Aug 1, 2020 at 12:59 PM (Merged)
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ENGINEMAN 73
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TRY CHECKING FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR. PULL VACUUM HOSE AT REGULATOR AND CHECK FOR FUEL.IF THERE IS ANY FUEL THE REGULATOR IS BAD AND WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED.
Aug 1, 2020 at 12:59 PM (Merged)
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KYLEGIBSON18
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When i start it cold it runs good..but after it gets hot and you shut it off and wait about 10 minutes and start it it stalls if u dont give it gas....if u give it gas it spits and spudders and has no power at all
Aug 1, 2020 at 12:59 PM (Merged)
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SERVICE WRITER
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Rap on the converter, there should be no rattling sounds. IT may be broke up inside.

IF it is solid I would be suspicious of an ignition coil going bad.
Any codes in the computer?
Aug 1, 2020 at 12:59 PM (Merged)
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DOC S
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I experience near total loss of power under minimal load. I replaced fuel filter, pump, MAP, throttle position sensor, distributor cap and wires and the ECM, which made it worse. In the beginning, no engine light came on. Now it does and the amp meter goes full right. It was supposed to be pre-programed but I'm not sure it was. I am inclined to think the ECM is configured wrong. Totally frustrated and upset.
Aug 1, 2020 at 12:59 PM (Merged)
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ASEMASTER6371
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Good evening,

First, OBD1 has an ECM that is a plug and plat. the module numbers need to be exactly the same.

Do you know the code for the light? If you do not, turn the key on and off three times in a row and leave the key on. the check engine light should start to flash.

Code 12 should be first. one flash, pause, two flashes. the end of code list is 55.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/engine-has-low-power-output

First thing I check with low power is a compression test. then I will do a catalytic converter back pressure test.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-test-engine-compression

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-test-a-catalytic-converter

Roy
Aug 1, 2020 at 12:59 PM (Merged)
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POOCHIE503
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my brothers jeep will start and idle but when i give it gas it wont rev it just idles. i opened the hood to check the cable it was still hooked up i tryed to rev it up from there and it still only idle not rev up why would it do that. if you can help please dothank you
Aug 1, 2020 at 12:59 PM (Merged)
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ISLAND_PRIDE71
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Remove the air intake tube from the throttle body, look @ the throttle plate as you pull the accelerator. Is the throttle plate moving? Let me know.
Aug 1, 2020 at 12:59 PM (Merged)
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POOCHIE503
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It was a cap of an after market intakefilter. Took it out it worked thanks.
Aug 1, 2020 at 12:59 PM (Merged)
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TODDSSISSY
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it starts,but rpms go down to 200 rpms dont want to go ovr 15-20 mph
changed fuel filter,reset points,new spark plug wires.
help where is the fuel regulator located????

thanks
Aug 1, 2020 at 12:59 PM (Merged)
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CJ MEDEVAC
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What are the points gapped at now? What dwell are you running?
Aug 1, 2020 at 12:59 PM (Merged)
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TODDSSISSY
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plugs gaped at .35 checked them yestarday.
dont know what the point is supposed to be gaped at.
do you??

thanks
Aug 1, 2020 at 12:59 PM (Merged)